HK's Student Population Plunges as Families Leave

Students marked National Education Day on April 15

  

There is more news that thousands of students have left Hong Kong this past academic year, though the government seems to be in denial about it.

A survey by the Professional Teachers' Union found a quarter of schools have reported more than 20 of their students left the city since September.

Fung (left) says thousands of students have left

PTU finds the figures alarming, and attributes them to parents' concerns about the national security law, as well as changes to the education system, particularly the controversial liberal studies subject.

"The government needs to acknowledge and directly address this issue," said Fung Wai-wah, president of the pro-democracy PTU, one of the city's main teachers' unions.

This month 183 primary and secondary schools were polled and found about 25 percent, or 47 institutions had more than 20 students withdraw during the 2020-21 academic year.

More than 70 percent of the schools reported between one and 20 students leaving. Just three schools reported no students dropping out.

Around 52 percent of the schools, or 96 of those surveyed said about half or more of their students withdrew because they were emigrating or pursuing studies overseas, but the poll did not ask the institutions to give specific reasons why the pupils left Hong Kong.

Parents are concerned about academic freedoms

"We believe some reasons could include the increased challenges as well as political tension and interference faced by the education sector... The security law could be one of the reasons as well," Fung said, adding the government should not "turn a blind eye to the issue" and address it.

According to data released by the Education Department last month found roughly 19,300 students or 3 percent of the total student population dropped out this academic year, compared to 10,400 the previous year.

Of the pupils who left this academic year, 5,280 were from private and international schools, the other 14,000 from local schools.

The implementation of the national security law last June has raised concerns among parents and teachers over shrinking academic freedom, as now children as young as six years old must now learn about the four offenses under the law -- subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Students 6 years old learn national security law

When Beijing officials says students should have a patriotic education, for many parents, the horror stories of the Cultural Revolution come to mind and they would rather their children be educated elsewhere. 

So what will the Hong Kong government do about the fast plunging numbers of students and teachers? Not everyone is eager to become patriotic...

How Liberal can Teachers be in Revamped Liberal Studies

Yeung lets teachers decide whether to discuss sensitive topics

 

The Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung is still vague about what teachers can teach pupils in the revamped liberal studies class now called "Citizenship and Social Development". He said teachers could use their professional judgment to decide whether or not to bring up certain topics in the classroom.

The revamped subject will have three modules instead of six, and will focus more on China's development, the constitution, the Basic Law, and the Rule of Law. All teaching materials, as expected, will be vetted by the government.

Yeung vague about teaching Tiananamen massacre

When asked whether teachers should worry about potentially breaching the national security law when they teach the new curriculum, Yeung said people generally don't have to worry about breaking the national security law if they love the country.

So loving the country gives you immunity from the national security law?

He also wasn't clear when it came to the question of whether teachers could still teach topics like the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Cultural Revolution.

"I think in the schools' teaching and learning, teachers have to follow the curriculum framework, and also achieve the objectives of the curriculum. But within that framework I think there is still flexibility for the teachers to exercise their professional judgement to amend some of the materials to cater for the different needs of the students."

How flexible, Mr Yeung? Can you spell out what that really means?

New curriculum focuses on national security

"In terms of any particular subject or issues whether they could discuss or not, I think that involves the professional judgment of the teacher," he continued. "As long as it is within the curriculum framework and also it could meet the curriculum objectives and it's suitable for the age group of the students, I think it should be okay."

It's still not clear, but Yeung seems to be throwing it back at the teachers to figure out where the red lines are. As head of the education bureau he's hardly making teachers' jobs any easier, but more politically tense. This added pressure is hardly necessary.

In any event it's the students who lose out on general knowledge they need to know about their motherland, warts and all.

Liberal Studies to be Liberally Revamped

 

Secondary students will have revamped liberal studies next year

The Hong Kong government is trying to shape the education of the next generation, by not giving them the opportunity to freely analyze and assess current affairs in their hometown as well as China, as well as further develop their critical thinking skills.

Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung announced late this afternoon that the subject of liberal studies will get a new curriculum, new grading and even a new name. 

Yeung says the course will be renamed

He said all teaching materials would be vetted by the government, and the existing curriculum would be slashed in half "to reduce the pressure on students". The material will put more emphasis on the country's development, the Basic Law and rule of law.

Meanwhile how students will be assessed will be revamped from the original seven-grade scoring system to a pas or fail.

Also as part of the course, students must make a trip to the mainland, though there are no details yet on where, for how long, and what they are expected to get from the visit, let alone the cost.

Yeung claimed the name of the course had to be changed because liberal studies had a "negative stigma" associated with it.

"We observed over the years, there are a lot of... usually not so good connotations with the name. As we are now going to refine the subject, we are now trying to make the subject have a new start. We think it is more appropriate to have a new name," he said.

Right...

The curriculum will be vetted by government

Liberal studies was first talked about during the first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's administration back in 2000, and was finally implemented nine years later.

It is currently compulsory for senior secondary students who want to go on to university. 

Originally the aim of liberal studies was to enable students to develop multiple perspectives on contemporary issues, help them to become independent thinkers and learn a range of skills, including critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.

But now the pro-Beijing camp, and ironically Tung himself, are highly critical of the course, saying it influenced students to participate in the 2014 umbrella movement that exercised civil disobedience, and then five years later the anti-government protests that later evolved into violence.

However, outgoing education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen described the government's decision to overhaul the subject as "abrupt" and made out of "political considerations".

"I think they are trying to cut down the emphasis on the study of current issues and also the ideas of critical thinking, independent thinking would not be emphasized so much," Ip said.

Ip says the revamp is a political decision

He also pointed out the contradiction that the government wanted to lighten the students' workload and yet they had to make a trip to the mainland as part of the course.

"This is the time when the students are in their examination years, so their schedule for studying is already very intense, so how can the students spend a long time in a field trip in the mainland," Ip asked. "And also the teachers will have to do a lot of things to prepare for the trip... why are they adding the extra things?"

Whichever way the education secretary tries to spin it, everyone knows it is a political decision to get Hong Kong students to be more appreciative of the mainland. There is nothing wrong with learning more about China or even going there, but there also needs to be a healthy dose of skepticism which is an important element in learning in general.  

But no, the Hong Kong government, and by extension Beijing wants to nurture a new generation of compliant citizens and think this is the way to do it.

Good luck.